HCA Faces Antitrust Claims After North Carolina Hospital Deal (1)

A group of North Carolina residents sued HCA Healthcare Inc. for allegedly driving up costs and reducing patient care quality in the state after the company acquired a nonprofit hospital operator in Asheville, N.C.

HCA Healthcare’s $1.5 billion acquisition of Mission Health System in 2019 resulted in suppressed competition in the acute care market locally and gave the company powers to impose “unlawful” contract terms on insurers in the past four years, according to the proposed antitrust class action, filed Tuesday in the North Carolina State Superior Court.

Costs for a shoulder arthroscopy rose 150% in four years in ...